Warden's Vigil Vignettes
by Genjutsu-Dragon
Summary: One-shot chapters and drabbles about my OCs from the Dragon Age RP site, Warden's Vigil. Rated T for the possibility of mature themes.
1. Chapter 1

**One-shots based around my OCs from my Dragon Age RP site. Occasional references to canon characters may be made, but by and large the people in these were created by myself. Other Warden's Vigil characters may appear, and will be credited to their creators where relevant. **

Nicolette woke early and quickly, shifting suddenly between sleep and wide awake. Her mind felt unusually clear for this time in the morning; propping herself up on her elbows, she looked out of the window at dawn's light slowly illuminating the clouds. She felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness, the latter tugging at her gut while the former had her quickly shifting out of bed to find the clothes that had been laid out in preparation the night before. She changed into them quickly before moving through her stretches, trying to kill some time before she headed downstairs.

Everything was ready; her pack was by the door, bedroll and tent tied firmly to the bottom, her cloak neatly folded on top of it, and her vielle case strapped as tightly and safely as could be to the back. Her daggers sat on her dressing table, newly oiled and sharpened the previous day. The habitual revulsion Nicolette experienced at the sight of them was not nearly so strong as usual this morning. She had other things to look forward to, and so quickly strapped on her belt and tucked them in their sheathes, putting them out of her mind as quickly as possible before tying on the bracers over the end of her sleeves and reaching for her cloak.

There was no indication that anybody else had stirred from their rooms as yet, and the bells in the Cathedral tolled six. It was an hour before she had to meet up with the others, and as yet she could not hear anybody else moving around in the house, so she sat on her bed and attempted to read. Focus dropped away after a few sentences, and she found herself bouncing on the bedsprings, pacing around the room, thoughts moving forward to the road that lay ahead. Time seemed to go at a crawl and she eventually decided that shifting about constantly would drive her mad, so she picked up her pack and headed downstairs.

To her surprise, Maman was already up, having apparently risen even earlier than Nicolette herself. She was busy at the stove, and Saul sat at the end of the table, heavy-eyed with sleep. He still smiled at her as she appeared, however.

"There's my second-best girl," he grinned, getting up to press a kiss to her cheek as she set her bag down. "How are you feeling?"

"Excited." Her eyes flicked in the direction of Maman, who was apparently avidly concentrating on the stove; she had not even turned around at Nicolette's entrance. "Nervous."

"You'll be just fine, cher. You'll have all your friends around you, right? They'll keep you safe." He chuckled. "And if a man is untoward, give him a good kick in the balls from me."

"Saul!" That had drawn a reaction from Maman, who turned around from the pot, brandishing a wooden spoon at her husband. "It is far too early in the morning for that sort of language!"

Nicolette's stepfather held up his hands, an entirely unapologetic smirk on his face. "Apologies, Clarice. Just trying to give some advice for her travels."

Maman turned back to the porridge with a roll of her eyes. "She already knows that one well enough, thank you very much." Saul winked at Nicolette as soon as Maman's back was turned, and she smiled in return. It was not as strong as it could be; the butterflies in her stomach were increasing with every minute that crawled by, and if she remained standing she would start pacing again, so she took her seat and waited for Maman to finish breakfast. It had been some time since they had eaten simple porridge oats; it had been a staple part of their diet on the roads, and Maman had apparently been quite relieved that part of settling into Val Royeaux was never having to eat it again. However, it was a good meal to start a long day of walking on; presumably hence why Maman was making it today. Nicolette suspected she would be grateful for it. After a year in the city, she was not as used to walking the entire day as she had been. And from this point onwards she would have to pick her meals very carefully, as it would be rare to know when the next one would come.

It was good porridge, rich with cream and flavoured with berries. Despite the butterflies, Nicolette was able to eat her fill, and when she was done Maman got up to fetch a small parcel of food to tuck in Nicolette's pack out of the pantry. She had barely eaten anything and Nicolette felt a surge of guilt. Not strong enough to call off her plans, however, and even if she tried, Maman would shoo her out the door.

The half-past bell chimed and Nicolette rose from her seat. "I am just going to say goodbye to Michel." Saul nodded, still ploughing his way through his second bowl of porridge, and Maman nodded stiffly. With a worried glance at her mother, Nicolette ascended the stairs and made her way into the main bedroom.

Michel was fast asleep in his cot, one chubby hand curled around the paw of his cloth bear. Nicolette bent over to press as light a kiss as possible to his forehead; she had hoped he would be awake, but did not want to disturb his rest. He shifted at the contact, but was not roused by it, and Nicolette whispered her goodbye before making her way downstairs again.

Saul had finished his food, and was holding her mother in the middle of the kitchen. Nicolette stayed out of sight in the hallway for a moment, heart twisting at the sight. From where she stood she could just about hear the sound of quiet sobs, and Saul looked solemn as he firmly hugged his wife. After a few minutes, Maman pulled away from him with a kiss, and Nicolette chose that moment to enter the kitchen. Her mother turned towards her with the first smile she had seen her wear that morning; it was shaky and her eyes were wet, but Nicolette was glad to see it nonetheless.

"Look at you, my beautiful girl." Maman's voice was admirably steady. "When did you become a woman, hm? You must have done it when my back was turned."

"I only look like a woman." Nicolette tried for a joke. "Inside I am still a ten-year-old girl."

"Then I pity your travelling companions." Maman managed to join in the joke before she moved away from Saul, who bent to pick up Nicolette's pack, to wrap her daughter in tight embrace. "Do you have everything? Books, tent, bedroll, bandages?"

"Yes, Maman."

"Daggers, whetstone, oil?"

"Yes, Maman."

"Quill, ink, money for emergencies?"

"Leave her alone, Clarice," Saul said, chuckling again. "She's got everything she needs – right, cher?"

Nicolette nodded. "I have checked everything. All I am missing are my friends." The bells chiming again made her look up. "Who will be missing me before too long. I should be on my way."

Maman's hold tightened for a moment, before pressing kiss to Nicolette's cheek. "Stay safe, Nico. For me?"

"I will. I will write every month." Nicolette hugged her mother before reluctantly releasing her, going over to give Saul his goodbyes as well. "Look after her for me."

"I always do." The usual good-natured smile was replaced with an appropriately serious expression as he hugged her again, before helping her on with her pack. It was heavy, and would rub at her shoulders for a while, but it would not be too long before she adjusted to the weight. Hopefully her feet would not take too long to remember the right rhythm for the road, either.

Unsure if there was anything else she could say, Nicolette took a breath and walked out of the front door. Saul and Maman followed her, both waving, and she waved in return; they stayed by the door until she had turned the corner and was out of sight.

Val Royeaux was just waking up at this time. There were some people scurrying to and fro in the streets, but for the most part it was quiet, save the strains of music coming out of the Grand Cathedral. Nicolette briefly experienced a strong pang of regret at leaving. She did love this city, beautiful and vibrant as it was. But to be out of the walls for the first time in a year, out on the road, breathing in air that did not smell of other people…her step quickened as she thought of it. It was deeply strange to be leaving without Maman, but there was also anticipation. She was a grown woman now, as her mother had observed, and a professional minstrel in her own right. Performing at parties unaccompanied had been a novelty, but _this _was what she wanted. To travel, to see things, to collect stories and songs.

The others were already at the gates when she arrived; Julian spotted her first, raising a hand. A broad smile spread across Nicolette's face as she headed towards them and the other three turned, Eloise breaking off her conversation with Martin to bound over to Nicolette and seize her in an exuberant hug. "Nicolette, at last!" The men followed suit with a little more decorum, Martin and Eward pressing chaste kisses to her cheek while beaming in excitement. Julian curled his fingers around hers and kissed her directly on the lips, earning a shy smile from Nicolette and a hoot from Martin. When he let go of her hand, Nicolette stepped back and bounced on her toes; the butterflies had settled and now she was simply excited.

Eward restored order after a few moments of excited chattered about their plans and where they were heading, pulling a map out of his satchel and tracing the road with his finger. "Only ten miles of walking today, to get us used to it," he said. "We will stop at this village – Allivain – and see if we can't trade music for beds. If not, there's a steam we can camp nearby not far from the outskirts." While more contained than the others, the blonde man's eyes sparked with anticipation as he tucked the map away. "Let's go!"

Together, the small gaggle of musicians walked through the gates of Val Royeaux, the autumn sun rising before them. If excitement and adventure had a scent, it was in the air today; Nicolette was almost drunk on it, giddy with the prospect of stretching her legs properly, and whatever lay before them. They had no real plans, no real direction; only moving between villages, trading music and stories for coin, and travelling as far as they could go. Nicolette fell into step beside Julian, wearing a broad smile.


	2. Chapter 2

Had any of their group viewed the idea of spending their lives travelling with a romantic bent, the last three months would have been enough to crush any illusions of that ilk. More often than not, the weather had been kind, but they had experienced enough nights of camping on boggy ground, sheltering in barns, and seeking out abandoned housing they could use for a few hours of rest. Not every town welcomed itinerant minstrels, not every landlord could be persuaded to provide a meal in exchange for music instead of coin.

They were all used enough to travelling that they had been prepared for the bad days, however, and while grumpiness did dog the group at times when the rain thundered down and they all thought longingly of a warm bed and a hot meal, the good days far outweighed the bad. Nicolette had spent a few days footsore, as they all had, but Eward had set a gentle pace and gradually her feet hardened to the road once more. She had not realised just how trapped she felt in the city until she was out of it, and the further they walked the more her mood lifted. Days spent strolling in the sunshine with her friends and having no matriarchal figure keeping a close eye on her to discourage mischievousness put an extra spring in her step. She took to rising early, feeling more energetic than she had in some time.

While they all adopted a habit of frugality whilst travelling, they were doing reasonably well for themselves. Where some towns were inhospitable, others were welcoming, and they made money performing during the day as well as trading music for beds in the evening. Gradually, they were able to start saving a little rather than living directly hand-to-mouth. Nicolette and Eloise's performing dresses became a little more elaborate and the men could afford better ale, all while their shared purse continued to grow.

And then they spent most of it on a horse.

Nicolette and Eloise both claimed it was each others' fault, afterwards. Eloise said that Nicolette had purposefully chosen the marketplace where the horse fair was going on in which to perform, and Nicolette said that it was Eloise who had taken a specific interest in actually purchasing one. What they did agree on was that they had admired the horses for a while, and then a huge, lumbering carthorse had been led out with a very low starting price. Curious, the pair had crept in amongst the farmers and merchants surrounding the pen, listening to the assessments going on around them.

"Now they're just trying to get rid of him. What do you think's wrong with the fellow?" One snub-nosed man asked of his companions. A variety of answers came back as they looked over the enormous conker-brown beast with the shaggy white socks; it was ill, its knees were shot, it was sterile, it was poorly-tempered. Neither of the girls thought so. It looked very well cared for and stood docile as a lamb at the end of its tether. That might have been enough to sway the farmers, but then the next whisper went around – the creature had some form of canker, whatever that was, and was simply not well enough to pull a plough properly. Those few that had bid retracted their offers, and Snub Nose shrugged. "Off to the slaughterhouse with that one, I shouldn't think. Poor creature."

Part of the argument that later took place was which one of the girls had raised their hands first, attracting the attention of the auctioneer. The men around them looked startled and Nicolette had determinedly ignored the people muttering to her that she was making a mistake. Eloise did the same and both women kept their hands in the air.

The boys had noticed what they were up to by this point and were elbowing their way forward through the crowd; Julian reached them first. "This is not the smartest idea either of you have ever had," he commented, as their bid was met by someone else regaining their confidence in the horse. "Keep your hands down now, he'll be alright."

"Twenty silvers!" Eloise's voice called up again, beating the other bidder's fifteen. Eward and Martin had made their way through now, and were looking confused and a bit dismayed.

"What are you two doing? We can't afford to feed that thing!"

"It can live off grass," Nicolette said, stubbornly, "And hay does not cost much."

"It can carry our packs and we can ride it if we twist our ankles or something."

Martin snorted. "I'm assuming you'll twist your ankle at the first opportunity and it'll stay twisted for the foreseeable future, then?" Eloise stuck her tongue out at him. Julian turned to Eward.

"You're in charge of coin, could you please talk some sense into them." Nicolette glowered at him.

"It should not go to the slaughterhouse. We want the horse."

"Are you seventeen again now?"

"Fermez la bouche, Julian."

"What a pretty singing voice you have sometimes, sweetheart."

"Enough!" Eward looked as though he wanted to tear out his hair. "Look, we can afford the horse, but we can get by just fine without it. And what if we run into trouble after leaving here? I would rather ensure we have money for anything like medical emergencies or food." Nicolette's shoulders slumped; he had a point there. Before she could concede defeat, however, Martin tapped Eward on the shoulder.

"Um. Too late."

They looked up as the auctioneer boomed out the result. "Sold to the lady in the yellow dress!" The man on the podium indicated Eloise, who suddenly found herself surrounded by three glaring males.

"Hey, don't just blame me! Nicolette had a hand in it too!"

"Yes, I appreciate being included," Nicolette commented sarcastically.

Tempers continued to run hot as they left the grinning crowd of farmers who had got a different sort of entertainment than the minstrels had bargained for, and made their way over to the previous owner of the horse. The man who greeted them smiled as they approached and rubbed the horse's nose. "I'm glad somebody picked him up," he said. "He's not all that suited for farm work anymore, I'm afraid. Wouldn't be much use around here except as dog meat."

Nicolette had expected for Eward to apologise and state that they could not take the horse, but instead he sighed and asked if the animal could carry their packs. "Oh, easily enough. He can't pull a plough but as a pack animal he'll be just fine as long as you don't overload him. His name is Claude, by the way."

Up close, Claude was even larger than he had looked in the pen, and Nicolette and Eloise moved forward to fuss around him as Eward counted out silvers, ignoring the glares being burned into their backs. Nicolette acknowledged that they had been unfair to the men by barging forward with what they wanted to do, but she was certain they would not regret taking the animal in the long run. Especially on hot days when the weight of their bags seemed to slow every step.

After the farmer had been paid and left them with Claude and some of the accoutrements for riding, Nicolette returned to Eward to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you," she smiled as he turned red, ignoring Julian glowering in the corner. "He is lovely, I am sure you will consider him a good choice after a while."

"Do I have to buy you a horse to get a kiss on the cheek now?" Julian called across, clearly annoyed that she had ignored him through most of the conversation. Nicolette sighed; she wanted to spend more time petting Claude, but she would rather not have Julian sulking for the next few days. Excusing them both, she took his hand and led him away to spend some time convincing him in her own way that he need not be jealous. Eloise would take care of Claude and Martin until they returned.

From the start, Claude proved himself to be a good purchase. He was as docile as he had seemed in the pen, and appeared to enjoy human company, bumping one member of the group or the other with his nose if he went unacknowledged for too long. Despite whatever illness it was that would apparently end his life before too long, he coped well enough with the burden of five tents and a few items from their packs, as well as the faster pace they began to pick up now that they were not encumbered. Only occasionally did they ride him, and when they did he took the extra weight with no more complaint than he did the rest of the baggage.

Their biggest problem with him was that he was terrified of birds. If one swooped over the horse's head he reared up and pawed at the air with hooves strong enough to break their skulls if one of them stood in the wrong place, and they had quickly learned to make sure that everything was firmly tied onto his back – also, it was better to let go of the bridle and let him bolt for a while rather than trying to hang on. Other than that, he was a valuable addition to their party; not just for carrying their burdens but also because he kept highwaymen away. Apparently having a massive horse with them was a good deterrent, as they went for an unusually long period of time without being held up.

By the third week, the men had fully accepted Claude's presence, even if everyone had been required by Eward to work harder than ever during their stops in the towns to make up for the loss of thirty silvers and cover the cost of stabling him. They were between towns at the moment, however, and had settled down to camp in a field near a river. Claude was allowed to wander around the perimeter of the tents until nightfall, whickering softly and guzzling grass as they tended to the campfire and food. After giving him a good brushing and sneaking him some carrots meant for the pot, Nicolette went to flop outside her tent on her back, resting her head on her arms. It was a good sort of day for lounging around in the grass, sunny without being gaspingly hot, and the air had cooled a little as time advanced. She was comfortable enough to have dozed off right there, but woke up sharply as somebody dropped something on her stomach.

"Oof!"

"Get peeling, lazy." Julian grinned down at her over the pot of potatoes he had dropped on her, and settled by her side with a few of the carrots. "Hm. I could swear we had more of these last night."

Nicolette feigned nonchalance as she sat up with a grumble and reached for her boot knife. "There are nicer ways to wake me up, you know."

"Mm, I know, but if I tried doing that in front of everyone I think there would be complaints, yes? More so even than with the horse." He waggled his eyebrows at her before jerking his head towards Claude. "I think you and Eloise were right, by the way. He's good to have around."

Nicolette accepted this by sticking her chin in the air, grinning. "Told you so." She then ducked a swat from Julian's hand, laughing, and then started peeling the potatoes.


End file.
